Manuel Pérez Martínez
Gregorio Manuel Pérez Martínez (born May 9, 1943 in Alfamén , Province of Saragossa , Spain , † February 14, 1998 in Colombia ) was a Spanish guerrilla leader in Colombia.
biography
Pérez Martínez, who was originally a Spanish citizen , initially studied Catholic theology and, after being ordained a priest in 1966, worked as a labor priest in France before working as a priest in Haiti , the Dominican Republic and Colombia . From all three countries he was by the governments each reported after this his work with workers and the poor displeased.
In 1968 he came to Colombia with two other Spanish priests, Domingo Laín Sáenz and José Antonio Jiménez Comín, where they worked in the Caribbean port city of Cartagena as preachers in the poor district of Chambacú. There he came into contact with several priests of liberation theology and was particularly inspired by Father Camilo Torres , a courageous religious and political leader who joined the guerrilla movement Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) in 1966 and participated in skirmishes shortly afterwards on February 15, 1966 Government troops perished.
In 1969, shortly after his deportation, he returned illegally to Colombia and joined the ELN with Laín and Jiménez. After starting his armed struggle, he was excommunicated . In the guerrilla he was called "Padre Pérez", "El Cura Pérez" or "Manolo".
From 1982 until his death he was political leader of the ELN. Under his leadership, the guerrilla organization was completely restructured. Instead of the up to then vertical cadre structure, "democratic centralism" was introduced. The individual structures were given partial autonomy and the organization was given internal statutes. At congresses, the strategic lines were defined by the "militancia" (permanent members of the organization). Under the direction of Manuel Pérez, the ELN, unlike other Colombian guerrilla organizations, strictly separated itself from drug trafficking. Instead, she used compulsory levies and kidnappings to finance her.
He died of hepatitis on February 14, 1998 and was buried in an undisclosed location in the Serranía de San Lucas.
Web links
- Pérez Martínez, (Gregorio) Manuel. In: rulers.org. (English).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pérez Martínez, Manuel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Pérez Martínez, Gregorio Manuel (full name); Padre Pérez (battle name); El Cura Pérez (battle name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish priest, liberation theologian and guerrilla leader |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 9, 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Alfamén , Zaragoza Province , Spain |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 14, 1998 |
| Place of death | Colombia |